UMECUnited Mining Exploration Commission: A group of friends playing JumpGate-- "a MMORPG that launched smoothly, breaks from fantasy character setting, emphasizes PvP, and is the first persistent world space simulator that nobody talks about." ~Scorch

Quantar Recruit Training
Quantar are religious zealots, ingrained with deep spiritual beliefs about Nature and Matter. Quantar tend to share strong bonds due to their religion. The greater good of Quantar comes before self for any true Quantar pilot.
PROS:
- 7500 credits signing bonus
- innate mining skills
- maneuverability
The best advice i can give for mining missions is TAKE A TRANSPORT MISSION TO ANOTHER STATION (preferably the route between tripoint OR corridor and depot - don't do corr-tripoint.) Go looking for roids to mine AFTER you get to your destination sector, but BEFORE you dock to complete that transport mission.

The below tutorial assumes you're level0, though even if you're not you can read this to learn some much needed basic training/tips. (plus, the n00b tutorial stops at lvl7 and continues with some more advanced tips and links)

the links to JOSSH below are for the US server. they give the same data, but just to be sure you can change the www.jossh.com to jumpgate.mightygames.com

Level 0
There's a mission tab on the bottom menu list. once you've opened that up, scroll the destination window and select Quantar Depot. (illustration) After you do this find the Transport mission (illustration) and Accept this mission. After you've hit Accept you'll see the left side mission window display your mission parameters you've accepted. (illustration) Station will add one unit of cargo to your hold to represent your mission responsibilities (It's a good idea to practice docking in the offline mode before you play the game online)
This is basically all you need to do...you can't afford anything of import yet, and the stuff you can afford isn't recommended. (your starting gear isn't that crappy compared to the lower end stuff you can buy). Before you launch it would be a good idea to open the map and highlight your route manually (there's no autoroute option)

Just open up your map and left click on InnerRoh, SquareofQuantos and HookofRoh (just to the left and below your current position) Anyways, the route from QC (quantar core) to QD (quantar depot) takes ~10 minutes w/o afterburner, though becareful of using all your AB fuel since it's used for your Brakes too. (you'll find the description of how to know where your AB/Brake keys are from a PDF reference card located here; or the JOSSH flight academy section) You'll launch from QC Station and your 1st waypoint is luckily the default target selection in this sector, simply maneuver around the station and fly directly at your target. (you'll find the description of how to know where your target is from a PDF reference card located here; or the JOSSH flight academy section)

Do note that, unlike station chatter, your ability to chat with other folks is keyed EACH SENTENCE to pressing the appropriate Function key on your keyboard. {{f1-f5}} (you'll find the description of how to know which chat function key to use from a PDF reference card located here; or the JOSSH flight academy section) If you ever lose sight of your Chat box, press 'H' ("HUD toggle) repeatedly until you see it again

You'll be using your "hyperspace" 'Jump' hotkey to travel from QC sector to InnerRoh sector...You'll know when to press this key because your 'jumpgate indicator' (see your HUD reference card) will light up just before you enter the whirly blue thingie. Once you successfully jump you'll be rewarded with a medal and 250xp. (leap of faith; Illustration; JOSSH database entry) Congratulations! you've successfully jumped into Inner Roh Sector. This time you'll need to cycle your radar target to the jumpgate leading to "Square of Roh"...you'll do this 2 more times. Once you've entered the final sector (QD station sector) you'll want to learn how to mine an asteroid to complete the second half of your mission-combo-trick-to-powerlevelling. It's fairly easy since your Quantar ship comes equipped (by default) with a mining laser (it's not a combat laser). Find the nearest grey coloured radar blip and fly towards it until you see a brown rock kinda thing in your viewscreen...don't approach it head on, but aim just to the side of it and when you think you're close enough, hit the brakes (you'll want to practice this technique so you don't get into the lazy habit of flying straight at the roid at maxV) Keep approaching the roid this way until you've bumped into it gently. Your shields can absorb gentle hits under 10velocity. Once you're right up against the brown rock, simply press your fire key and turn towards it like so...(Illustration (large, sorry). The illustration shows the chat message you get when your cargo hold is full (1.000 units of ore+ your 1.000 transport cargo = full)...This doesn't take long at all really, unless you've gotten teh rotten luck of a temporarily mined out roid. (they look BLUEISH)

roids in this MMOG don't disappear and spawn randomly elsewhere unless they are a special type. so most of the roids you'll come across will be there a year from now. This is sorta off topic because it's advanced mining stuff. get to that later.

Once you've got a full load of ore, target the Depot station and fly towards it. Once you're within 6000m of it you'll see some green rings appear which you'll probably need to circle around the station until you can approach them. Check your fuel gauge (see HUD reference card) to make sure you've got enough brake fuel. Since you're hauling a moderate load you'll want to learn reverse thrust "braking" technique.

Okay, so you've successfully docked at your Transport mission destination. For safely docking you'll receive a medal and 250xp (safety belt; JOSSH database entry) and another medal, and 500xp, for completing your first mission (honor's mark; Illustration; JOSSH database entry). You'll also get the XP from the mission bonus. All this instantly elevates you to level1 (Illustration)
Level 1
Okay, you've still got that mining mission to complete, so go to your mission window, verify your destination is Quantar Depot Station, and select mining. (Illustration) Choose the "level 1" mining mission and Accept it. (Illustration) Now open up your market window from the command menu list on the bottom of your station screen. You'll notice you have some objects in your inventory still. (the transport mission cargo was removed on dock; Illustration). Click on each of these ore types and sell them all. You'll complete your mining mission AND receive a mining medal plus 500xp for it. (miner's heart; Illustration; JOSSH database entry). After you've sold all your ore, now it's time to actually buy something! First off let's filter the stuff you view for level. Then select the modx gear section. Then buy one "Witness" (Illustrations) After you buy this item select your 'Ship Configuration' window from the command menu list and open the modx section. (Illustration)

Now, there are some items you'll want to snatch up if you ever see them. These items aren't made at the stations you frequent, nor is it advisable you travel to such stations. For now, just keep your eye open for these items: (powerplant, engines, radar and shield respectively)
These are much better than anything i'm going to recommend later as your base gear...

Now, open the mission window and choose Tripoint Station as your next destination and accept a transport mission there. (Illustration)
You'll want to highlight your waypoints manually in the map again. This time left click on LongWalk and TicTac's. I'm choosing this route for you since it's the shortest one between station (2 minutes shorter than the QC trip at your cruise speed; Illustration) A word of warning: you'll want to watch out of the roids just inside Tripoint sector when you jump in. They are in between the station and the jumpgate, but i've never had a problem with them. In fact they're a good place to mine your 1.000 units of ore for that mining mission combo-tricky-thingie. (Illustration (large)) Once full of ore, you can dock (don't forget you can now use ZOOM function (see hotkey reference PDF)) and your transport mission success elevates you to level2 (Illustration).
Level 2
Don't forget to take a mining mission (Illustration) before you sell that ore in your market inventory. (Illustration)

notice how the prices for ore don't differ remarkably from Depot market? That's pretty much the standard prices you'll see for all anywhere...and the topic of ore composition isn't exactly on topic for this tutorial. It's dealt with elsewhere.

Now, open the mission window and choose Depot Station as your next destination and accept a transport mission there. (Illustration)
Once you launch, there's a trick to avoiding the tripoint jumpgate roids on your way out the sector...Aim for this point: (Illustration -- ZOOMED illustration) Along the way to Depot make sure you mine a unit of ore, so once you dock you can take that mining mission combo (Illustration). At this point i recommend buying a 'Gatherer' powerplant (Illustration) this is a wise choice at this time if you don't happen to see a 'Contender' powerplant. When you replace your 'Spud' powerplant, remember to sell that from your market inventory!. Pretty easy now, take a transport mission to Tripoint. (Illustration)

the credits available to me as shown in the below image was taken after i'd also purchased a "HallMonitor" radar and Broker mining laser (for the extra range). good luck finding the former. I prefer the hall monitor over the others simply because it's the only one of it's size bracket that can alter it's range to 10k -- which is exactly the range you can see roids. *shrug*

EDIT: ooops!!! I just tested mining laser ranges in the simulator, and it seems there's no advantage to spending 20,000credits on a broker cause the drain rate isn't much better, nor is the range. bottom line? DON'T buy the broker. keep your cracker laser

Along the way to Depot make sure you mine a unit of ore, so once you dock you can take that mining mission combo. (Illustration) This bumps you to level3 (Illustration).
Level 3
Congratulations! At this point in time, i'd suggest acquiring TWO mitoria plus engines (Illustration). Don't forget to sell your old engines pair. You'll notice during flight that your radar goes blank. Don't worry too much about this now, since all you need to do is lower the thrust juuuuust a tad to get it back. Level3 is a bit different since the mining mission now calls for 2 units. You can choose a combination of levelling options now...Ask around, you're experienced enough now to learn more advanced stuff. (Illustration for a transport back to depot)
This took me and hour to do, including breaks and chatting...figure about the same for you too, perhaps even faster if you don't chat alot and don't need a break
I have enough roid coordinates mapped that i can level quite easily mining ice roid (lvl3 mining mission), but to show an example of another option i'm going to continue levelling doing the tranny/commonore combo trick. This means i'll have to launch at my destination and refill my cargo hold with another load of ore (or just skip mining on the way in), then dock and sell to complete my mining mission i took once docked at destination. (doesn't take long, so i figure it's better than straight trannies)

my plan is to get to level 4 to be able to buy a warper combat laser and "bcu" in order to start the next phase of levelling. At this point and time let's talk about chat 'Macros'. They're fairly easy to code once you get the hang of it.

press 'ENTER', then F6, and you'll see this.
you can set the number to 1 for faction chat (quantar only; same sector), 2 for squad chat (multifaction; galaxy wide), 3 for sector chat (multifaction; same sector), 4 for whisper (one person; galaxy wide) or 5 for public booth (multifaction; galaxy wide)

Continuing on then, after lvl3 is reached, all we need is two more tranny/mining combos till the next level.
Tranny.
combo mining.
Another Tranny.
combo mining.
Level 4! w00t!
Level 4
Now buy one Rake powerplant and one Warper laser gun...unequip your old powerplant (no need for a contender if you snagged one earlier) and mining laser and equip the ones you bought...now sell your Spud pp located in market inventory, and store your Cracker mining laser in storage!! (Illustration). Once you've done that you've got enough money to acquire a Pod shield and a Spore capacitor and a QUAN-BCU. do the unequip/equip thang and the sell bit. (Illustration) Now you're ready to practice against conflux in the simulator.

At around this time i received another medal and 500xp (Ring of commitment; Illustration; JOSSH database entry). Once back on Quantar Depot Station, accept a transport to Tripoint so you can begin your next phase. (Illustration)
Once docked, you're going to be going back and forth between Quantar Core and Tripoint VIA RINGVIEW. (ie. not via path of hordes; Illustration (map route))
You'll be searching for "grey beeks" and "squid" to "flip" and "kill" respectively. From now on, don't use AfterBurner except to outrun c3 squid! Also, avoid engaging more than two c1's at a time...watch your radar.

"Flipping beeks" takes some skill and alot of patience because finding a grey beacon isn't that easy since they're popular for alot of pilots to "flip" (don't need to be HonourGuard to flip grey beeks; you can also see grey beeks on the map by toggling this icon))...You've already bought a bcu, but just in case you've crashed make sure you've got a Witness & QUAN-BCU modx along with your other gear (crashing loses all your gear, and gives you back insurance credits for the loss)
Grey beeks look this colour; once you fly through those 4 rings you'll hear a sound and see this; That means you've just "flipped a beek"; Once you've flipped a beek and you get your 1st XP installment (see image below) you'll receive your medal and 500xp (path of light; JOSSH database entry) along with a periodic XP bonus -- even if you're offline; beeks reset in 2 1/2 hours.
*JOSSH flight academy section on beeks*

"Killing conflux"...Well, at this point i'd like to explain another crucial point of etiquette: flux hunting. When you see a purple blip on radar that doesn't mean it's free for the taking. Best way to tell if it's "yours" is if it's pointing your way.
That's a conflux aimed at you. if someone else shoots it they're a moron, even if they "ask" before hand...don't shoot the thief though. that's just stooping to their pathetic level. BTW, it's not real smart engaging more than one conflux at this time. you'll need better speed and weaponry than what you have now.
Whenever you kill a conflux in real space you'll receive a bonus for the kill

*TRI has limited this payment to pilots who are rank 5 and below. Higher level pilots receive 10 credits and 10 experience.

c1 squid = c1200 / 300xp

c2 squid = c1600 / 400xp

c3 squid = c2000 / 400xp (is not recommended)
Once you kill your first conflux you'll recieve a medal and 500xp on top of whatever bounty you get for killing said conflux. (spirit of unity; Illustration; JOSSH Database entry)Level 5
Once you've hit level5 (Illustration) you'll receive a medal & 5000xp for fast levelling. (rising star; Illustration; JOSSH database entry) Now, buy a Shelter shield (Illustration) and 2 calypso missiles (the latter are one shot stuff, so you might want to buy more on dock; Illustration; note the cost!) If you got left over cash you might want to pick yourself up a Chime radar (best size1 radar; Illustration)...Now all that's left for you to do is to get your last basic skill medal and 500xp bonus. (tactical pride; JOSSH Database entry).

keep on going till you're positive it's at it's max cruise velocity and wait a few more seconds.

cut thrust completely. turn around to face it and then ROLL (forces it to compensate it's orientation and thus making it fly towards you straighter instead of a curve like it wants to)

wait till said target gets to within 10k and then launch both missiles as the same time (rapid fire)

keep rolling until your missiles connect then press "center view" (stops you rolling)
Actually, at this point you CAN take on three flux (even including one c3 in the trio) What you do is head straight for the strongest flux, wait till yer 10k distance, then take off directly away from this conflux using AfterBurner...once it's flying as straight as it can (usually i wait a dozen seconds after it hits maxV) cut thrust, turn around and get it in your crosshairs, then start rolling and as soon as it's about 5000m fire both missiles simultaneously. BANG! one dead c3. Now, since you have a shelter shield equiped, taking the other two is easy. (and if you miss with the missiles the best way to flee from a conflux is to turn towards it and fly right at it's nose and once past it keep flying in that direction until it's at it's maxV following you again. THEN you can flee towards the nearest JumpGate)Once you've done this you'll have all 8 basic skill medals which get converted into a SKILL STAR and a whopping 2500xp. unf unf. (JOSSH database entry).
:party:
Level 6
Once you hit level 6, buy a Needle laser to replace your Warper. And when in combat don't hold down the fire button...squeeze your shots off. (i wait till the flux shields stop shimmering till i fire my next shot off. helps you learn aiming and calms you down during a firefight)

BTW, you'll inevitably crash. you'll appear back at the last station you left. (Illustration) and you'll find your gear is the green basic crap you had when you were lvl0. You'll also have a fat credit voucher and a free "Docking Modx" (Illustration; i crashed at lvl6; think that's the last level you can spawn one upon dying. EDIT: confirmed)

If you're level 6 like i was when i smoked into an Anomaly for a lark, just buy rake, mitoriapluses, chime, seed, shelter, needle, calypsos, BCU-QUAN and a Witness (sell that docking modx or experiment with it, doesn't matter; i'd personally get someone to trade you a FlashFire instead)[/color]

Level 7
Once you hit level 7, start to think about Cardoia engines. (Illustration) Unfortunately, they are very expensive so much so that two more than equal the cost of a gust chassis (Illustration).
+=

Let's talk about optimal loadouts now that we've gotten to the level you can acquire decent powerplants. Since this tutorial doesn't cover mining (and thus where the REAL money is) we'll assume you're into fluxxing and grey beek flipping. The Gust is excellent for both and the next best size2 engines are Impellers from octavia (plus the centerfuge mk3. also from octavia - which has 6polrat requirement so you need to do TWO missions with an octavian destination)...You'll need a huuuuuge cash investment since you haven't been mining, to the tune of ~160,000cr for gust and ~120,000cr for the optimal gear. (Illustration)...now if you're short cash try going for a harvester instead (Illustration) and pushers that'll give you this loadout: (Illustration)

Level 8
The Sirrus missile might look enticing, but for the cost boost and what i've been instructing so far it's not exactly easy on the pocketbook, since most missiles aren't fire&forget. (Illustration)

APPENDIX
The Quantar Starting gun is a Cracker (slightly less effective than a broker, but twice as good as the other factions' whimpy mining lasers) and if you mine a roid you'll see that you get a combination of all 5 types of ore. You're probably getting interested as to how much cash you can get by selling this "combination of ores" at once. Well, to be honest just look at the profits you get for hauling commods between Tripoint & QDepot (pitiful really) and compare them the profit when you sell a "combination of ores"

Since each type of roid always gives the same percentage (rad/semi/prec/ice/common) of ore when mined, i can show you the composition of roids:

Radioactive Roid holds 50% radioactive ore

Semiflux Roid holds 64% semiflux ore

Precious Roid holds 44% precious ore

Ice Roid holds 96% ice ore

Common Roid holds 94% common ore
Since ore prices never vary more than 1%, i can show you the profit on mining a certain type of roid, EXCLUSIVELY, and filling a Breeze's cargo hold with 6.000 units (quantar bonus INcluded; mission bonus excluded)

Common roid mining produces a profit of ~8300cr

Ice roid mining produces a profit of ~12900cr

Precious roid mining produces a profit of ~15800cr

Semiflux roid mining produces a profit of ~25000cr

Radioactive roid mining produces a profit of ~27100cr

Example: You're in your Breeze at Tripoint and decide to hell with hauling commodities you're gonna buy that Broker mining laser and make your fortune licking roids like a Quantar should.*g* Now, you've read my instruction to take a transport to Qdepot, So you launch and head for Qdepot...once you get to the Qdepot sector you can find a nice roid and fill your hold

Beware. when pilots mine a roid it takes ~1 hr to refresh ~2units of ore, and there are 3 sizes of asteroids with a limited amount of ore per size (small~5/med~10/large~20) You can tell when an roid has been mined out when you can no longer drain units from it and it's "Blue"

If it's only a "little bit" blue, and you're feeling competent, you can always try orbiting the roid at ~5 - 10v; it speeds up the mining rate something fierce; if you don't trust me trust the dev's. they said it)

...Now wait! it gets better. you then dock your fully loaded Breeze at Qdepot station (be careful. you're carrying the equivalent of 6 ammunition commods) thus completing your transport mission and choose the level 1 common ore mining mission (i'm assuming you licked a brown rock) and then sell your ore to Qdepot station without launching and you'll complete two missions in one trip.

I'm sure you'll notice that you cannot sell anything but the full amount of a certain type of roid...preventing you from completing multiple mining mission of that type of roid....heheheh....You've probably guessed what i'm getting at and my suspense is killing you, yes? probably.

Once you become proficient at mining you'll no doubt start looking for the rare roids, at that point you'll realize if you mine a prec/semi/rad roid you'll have enough common ore to complete your transport and hope to be given a mining mission for the rare ore you've got on you (and if you don't you can take a common ore mission to "spin the wheel on the price is right")

Units needed to complete one mining mission: (quantar bonus INcluded)

Lvl 3-5: 1.819 units

Lvl 6-8: 2.728 units

Lvl 9-11: 3.637 units

Lvl 12-14: 4.545 units

Lvl 15-17: 5.455 units

Lvl 18-20: 6.364 units

Lvl 21-23: 7.273 units
...well, you get the idea.

BTW, a rotacol is a handy modx while mining. Learn to use the custom waypoint function that is activated when you equip a rotacol (simply type "/rotacol x y z" without the quotes while in a sector you want to set the waypoint and cycle your radar until the new custom waypoint appears; only one per sector)

And forget Artifact hunting. If you don't have the aptitude to learn on your own, then you're not the "Explorer Type" so there. nyaaaaaaaa

I'm leary of teaching you about pure roids (the ones that give you a single type of commodity), because they have a few "GameEngine Bugs" that are frustrating...So until that's fixed, i'll let you attempt that on your own. good luck. have fun.

if you want to help n00bs i'd suggest you grab your TOW and head up to Solrain to haul to QDepot some...contenders, moneys, halls and flatirons. (best darned way to help n00bs i know of...though it'll take me some time to level up for a tow)

:)- wow, guys, this thread has THE most views of any in this forum. either we're all a bunch of no-nothing n00bs (including me) or we rule cause we look before we leap. not like those babyeating punks or them wussified smurfs.

unfortunately, i'm not sure how n00b-friendly EP2 is. unless they've ramped down the flux spawns a n00bs is going to have a seriously difficult time going it alone. It's not really smart to force n00bs to team up in order to level...some people (i think most) actually like to level on their own and get a feel for the game before interacting with folk, but maybe that's just me. (just not sure that putting stress on a n00b via flux interruptions is all that smart)

jan 2001: sorry about the, "when i was your age speech", but i enjoyed rubber necking around QC sector (and ekoo's stop) because there we're ANY flux spawns in innerroh, quaanus, omni4&5 either...it was fun. as a n00b you could nose about and explore. *Shrug* ah well.

hopefully, ND will lower the spawns in sectors adjacent to core sectors to jellyfish only (and get rid of jellies in core sectors)

unfortunately, i'm not sure how n00b-friendly EP2 is. unless they've ramped down the flux spawns a n00bs is going to have a seriously difficult time going it alone.

Since the anti-flux widget has been introduced its got a lot better (most tow pilots/freighters and miners now kit them as standard) for your average n00b. Thats not to say that you dont still spawn a whole heap of flux and still get dumped on by fighters from time to time but it is a lot better than it was.

Do still pass the odd low level running like mad from 3-4 C3s who naturally cant fit an antiflux cos its a size 3 ECM, I'd be sat on stations handing them out otherwise 8P

Must admit despite my initial scepticism I am leaning towards it being a good thing(tm) just because of the utter wank nature of 90% of the kit that is available to you <lvl 26. At least you can eliminate "doing the level treadmill trudge up to 26 to get a decent ship" from your list of noobie things to do in jumpgate.